It’s probably safe to say that Balmain x H&M collaboration broke the internet, and a lot of people’s hearts at the same time. The demand was unsurprisingly huge, while supplies, as is always with exclusive collabs, pretty limited. As a result, there were a lot of angry and sad tweets from the disappointed fans, as well as a ton of braggy ones from those who managed to score something…anything from the coveted collection.

As you can see, I was one of the lucky few…having scored perhaps the most in-demand piece – the beaded velvet jacket…aka “The Kendall”. And boy, is it beautiful in person – intricately embellished, with sparkly rhinestones, faux-pearls…and that soft-soft velvet. It was certainly worth lining up early for.

And while I meant to style this jacket with pants, I just couldn’t resist wearing it with my new suede over-the-knee La Canadienne boots while the weather was still mild enough for pantsless outings. The gold zipper details on these boots are a perfect match for the baroque embellishments of the jacket, while the fact that the boots are flat, somehow makes the length of this short jacket (worn as a dress) a little less scandalous. If you’re going to invest in a new pair of boots this season, make it the over-the-knee style. This pair is my current fave – comfy, Canadian, and with that essential rubber sole (if suede is not your thing, this leather pair is pretty spectacular as well). I’ll be wearing these boots a lot this winter – with skinny jeans tucked in, as well as with dresses and skirts.

So tell me, did you get caught up in the #HMBALMAINIA? Or did you stay away from the crowds instead? Do you like the over-the-knee boot trend? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Every single time H&M announces a designer collaboration, there’s a huge amount of hype and excitement…but #HMBALMAINATION created a full-on hysteria I’ve never experienced before. Perhaps it’s because pieces from the fast-fashion collaboration look nearly identical to Balmain clothing from past collections, or maybe it’s due to the skilful marketing, which included top model of the moment Kendall Jenner attending events wearing pieces from the collection, Backstreet-effing-Boys performing at the launch party in New York, and Olivier Rousteing doing his fair share of promoting his work all over social media…and then there’s the upcoming holiday season and all the holiday parties that come with it, which Balmain x H&M pieces will be perfect for.

Whatever the reason for #HMBALMAINIA, if you want to snag something from this collection, it may be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. Quantities are said to be limited, but if you live in a major city like Toronto or Montreal, or better yet in the US, where you can shop H&M online, there’s still hope! Even if you don’t live in the US, I would highly recommend trying to order pieces from the collection online and shipping them to a friend who lives in the states, a hotel (if you plan on travelling to the US soon), or one of those mailbox rental places. The website will most likely crash from all the demand, but there’s still a good chance that you’ll be successful without having to camp outside overnight. Luckily for Torontonians, temperatures will be quite mild this week, so in case you are lining up, you should be fairly safe from pneumonia. I was told that most pieces run small, so take that into consideration.

Personally, I thought I would be immune this time around, as I was never that crazy about Balmain to begin with…but after seeing photos of the collection, I am totally obsessed. My shopping list isn’t very long – black tuxedo dress, beaded velvet jacket, and a simple white blazer – but with the velvet jacket retailing for over $500, it’s still going to be one expensive trip to H&M!

So tell me, are you going to line up on Thursday? Which pieces are on your wishlist? Share in the comments…and may the odds be ever in your favour!

H&M x Balmain collaboration is only about a month away from hitting the stores and now we have this first look at the collection’s ad campaign, and OMG – it’s epic! It takes a lot to take attention away from beauties like Gigi Hadid, Jourdan Dunn, and Kendall Jenner, but in all honesty, I don’t care who the models in this ad are, because all I can see are the clothes and accessories! The jewelry! That dress!! Those blazers!!! I have a feeling that line-ups for this collab are going to be insane, so I think you’d better start strategizing.

Are you excited about #HMBALMAINATION? Share your thoughts in the comments.

If like me you’ve been impatiently waiting to find out about the next big H&M designer collaboration, today’s the day! While walking the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards, Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has announced the big news – #HMBALMAINATION is coming to a store near you this fall! And to give you a taste of the things to come, models Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn accompanied the designer on the red carpet in looks from the upcoming collection. At first, I couldn’t believe that the signature velvet embellished blazer was going to be a part of the H&M collab, but it sounds like it is! I foresee things getting crazy come fall.

Right now, there’s not much else to share about the collab except for the date – November 5th, 2015 is the date the collection will hit the stores. More to come!

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…